Metal plated smoking pipe



Dec. l5, 1953 E. R. RlNEHAR-r METAL. PLATED SMOKING PIPE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April e, 1951 :inventor Gttornegs Dec. 15, 1953 'filed April 6, 1951 E. R. RINEHART METAL. PLATED SMOKING PIPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 ELWOOD R. RINEHART Gttornegs Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,662,531 METAL PLATED SMOKING PIPE Elwood R. Rinehart, Seattle, Wash. Application April 6, 1951, Serial N o. 219,689

This present invention relates to a `smokingV pipe in which the wooden bowl portion is electroplated with a heat conductive metal. A method is provided for the plating of wood smoking pipes and further means are provided that extend inwardly to contact the tobaccoconsuming chamber of the pipe so that heat is readily conducted out of those points where excess temperatures are usually created andthus a smoking pipe can have a long useful life.

In the past the makers of smoking pipes have recognize-:l the desirable qualities which inhere to a design in which the bowl portion of the pipe is made largely of metal. Of the numerous pipes that have been observed, following these principles, tlie majority of the pipes are made of aluminum in order to provide a light weight pipe and the tobacco-burning bowl proper is normally an insert of wood, meerschaum or material of like character` Pipes made after such a plan due to manufacturing expediencies are normally of the san-ie form in each pipe quantity produced. This is objectionable to the pipe-loving smokers who usually like a pipe which has a distinct individuality and which is cherished over long periods and becomes in effect a mans personal companion. Quantity produced metal pipes do not .nii this need. Those pipes observed made after the principles of a mass or machine metal pipe normally are lacking in smoking qualities. The veteran pipe smoker begins to enjoy his 'pipe fwhen a considerable mass of the wood or briar has become impregnatedwith the tars normally jgiven in the smoking process and when this has oi'icurred the pipe is termed as having been biiken in. To achieve this sense of a broken lin pipe the bowl proper must be of a good grade of pipe briar and must have sufiicient body so the tars can nlter out through the poresof the wood and thus avoid the bitterness which is found in some of the plastic pipes, for instance, where little if any penetration can occur. Such pipes must be constantly cleaned and neverl develop the sweetness so muchv sought afterby the pipe smoker. This vpresent invention contemplates supplying the pipe smoker with his favorite form of briar pipe so` that he mayv have'a shape that suits his own desires. Y Then this-'pipe of a chosen shape is electroplated preferably with copper as it has high conductivityof heat,- and the copper, in turn, if desired can be plated withlany of the various metalsused for such purposes, particularly as silverv and gold. Such .aV pipe has all the inherent smoking qualities of a good brand of pipe yet due to vthe`plating and other heat conductive lmeanato be explained in the following specification, the briar is protected against excess temperatures by the-expedientof having ythe` excess heat conducted to =the .surface @fthe pipe bowl as a whole, wherethe'largefsurl ^iace willpermit its radiation intoA the ambient air. This is vall achieved Without undue'weight v3 Claims. (Cl. 131-194) of the pipe as the plating process is under complete'controland the plating can be deposited in so thin a layer` that it weighs but little and further it can be deposited on any of the carved or ornate pipes.

The principal object of this present invention therefore iis to provide a smoking pipe in which the bowl and stem portions made integrally with the bowl, may be electroplated with a high heat conductive metal. A

A further object of this invention is to provide I a method which can be used to electroplate a `metal can be n'ished wooden bowl pipe.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby a covering ofA heat conductive electroplated on the bowl of a wooden pipe wherein the thickness of plating is readily controlled to the end that various coniigurations' of the wood or the imprinted name of the maker of "the pipe is not so covered up as f to be lost.

'A further object lof this invention is to provide means extending into'the inner surface of a pipe bowl, and physically in lcontact with the plated coverings, so that heat will be conducted out of the pipe bowl into-the' outer'covering where it may be readily radiatedinto the ambient air.

Further obje'cts,vadvantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may becomprehended or are inherent in the device- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a'perspective view showing a congured brar pipe bowl which has been metalplated in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a different shape of pipe which was originally smoothly nished but which after the plating operation can be highly polished; Y

Figure 3 is a typical vertical sectionalview T through a'pipe bowl made after the teachings of this present invention;

styles of bit portions l2.

a pipe bowl which is completely prepared rea-dy for iinal plating: -1 i i Figure 6- is a. perspective view illustrative of the nalplatingoperation.:

Referring.morefparticularly -to the disclosure in the drawings, the numeral I D designates the bowl portion of a smoking pipe which is tted with some form of stem portion I2. There is a wide variety of pipe forms. This includes the bowl portion I0 and likewise a large number of l No doubt one of the factors that makes the briar pipefso popular with smokers is the widevariety that can-,be-obtained sojthat eachvperson 'canV havea pipe that is distinctive and fully Lsuits his desires. rIhis present invention relating as it-does to heat conductive bowl has been shown 1n orde'rto illustrate the fact that any form of carving, connguration or imprinting, can be covered by the electro# plated metal covering without losing thedistinctive features of the original configuration. The

pipe bowl portion is normally provided with a I4 andA connecting with tobacco-receiving cavity this cavity near its lower portion is thei` smoke duct respect to the bowl stem portion portion is provided at its outer end'y terboredrecess 20 adapted to' accept diameter portion of the bit I2.

This invention relates particularly to the electrically deposited metal sheath 22 which is deposited over the entire surface, normally,Y of the wooden portion of the pipe' consisting of the bowl portion proper I and the bowl stem I6. The sheath or coveringextends out to I8` This stem with a counthe reduced the end of the stem portion as indicated at 24 so that a smooth juncture is made with the pipe stem or bit I2. The upper surface of the bowl as' indicated at 26 is similarly covered with metal at the time the bowl is covered and being deposited at the same time as a unitary structure with the sheath proper. The rim portion 26 extends to the inner wall of cavity I4 and serves to conduct into the sheath proper the excess heat that may be generated around the margins of the lighted tobacco. It is quite common to iind that the initial lighting of a pipe produces a very full hot coal surface, and, unless this heat around the margins is conducted away and radiated into the air, a charring will occur around the upper inside margins of the cavity I4. As applied in this present invention, however, rim 26 serves as the contact element and the heat is conducted into the mass of the sheath where a large radiating area is provided and the excess temperature quickly dissipated in the ambient air.

As a pipe is being smoked, it quite often develops that because of unusual packing of one portion of the tobacco, or some heavy pieces of tobacco, the air current caused by the smokers suction on the pipe stem will make the fire become more intense on som'e one point. This many times can raise the temperature of the wood bowl up to the kindling point, or if not of suicient intensity to cause kindling of the wood, and burning thereof,` it very often will cause charring of the wood which from that time on provides a weak spot in the pipe bowl susceptible to attack by excess temperatures in subsequent smoking of the pipe. With the use of the enclosing sheath 22, however, any local heat is dis.- tributed through the sheath and quickly radiated into the air, thus lowering the temperature of the pipe and maintaining it at a tem@V perature below that which can cause permanent damage to the pipe. This same protection by the sheath extends to the'stem portion I6 which is normally quite vulnerable due to the fact that excess amount of tars tend to collect in the lower portion of the stem and thus reduce the resistance of the briar to excess coloration or burning. i I

At 30, 3| and 32 1 have illustrated metal, preferably copper, inserts. These are of the nature of copper pins or plugs of which there may be any desired number. They. normally should be disposed at those points where: with a k'ticular I6 which is normally axially disposed with' metaiiie sheath ori shaped pipe bowl, experience has shown that maximum damage to the bowl occurs. Thesel plugs terminate on the, surface of the wall of cavityA I4` and extend outwardly entirely throughl the bowl proper, and, when the sheath '22 is de-4 posited on the bowl, with these plugs so that conductivity through the plu'gs'and into the sheath is definitely assured Method of plating In the process of electrically depositing the' the pipe bowl and stem, the first step is to remove the pipe bit I2. The bowl must then be water-proofed over the entire sur-V face that is going to be exposed to the plating so-` lution. It is to be observed, however, that the tobacco-receiving cavity I4 should be protected against any part of the processing, as normally the lenti-re inner surface of the cavity is treated by the maker of the pipe in one of the various processes to add life to the bowl and to increase its resistance to charring or burning. initially, to protect the cavity I4 during the waterproofing step in my method, I have found it most convenientto roll up or coil Yup paper and stick it in the bowl after the showing of- Figure 4. The waterproonng material can then be applied to the wood by handbrushing the same on or by preferably airbrush spraying the same. Various forms of waterproofing material may be used-a sprayedon coat of lacquer is probably the most satisfactory solution. However a thin shellac or wax, or other like suitable substances, may be applied as by handbrushing the same on Athe wood. When the effective covering has dried, the surface should be lightly sanded. A satisfactory grade for this sandpaper is the 400 wet or dry sandpaper.` The paper mask 3B can now be removed and the bowl is ready for the next step.

It is to be understood that in order to electroplate, the object to be plated normally is the anode of a galvanic bath, and, in order to obtain uniform plating throughout, the surface must be treated to make it electroconductive.

Chemical electroplating requires that the unit to be plated be entirely immersed in the solution. Consequently it is necessary to seal both the tobacco cavity I4 and the bore 20 of the stem so that no nuid can enter the same, and further, it has been found most practical to seal these elements before the protective coating is applied and thus reducey to a minimum the handling of this pipe between the coating and the immersion. The sealing of cavity I4 is probably best achieved by the use ofA a tight-fitting rubber stopper A4I) after the showing ofvFigure 5. The stem cavity 20 is then filledv with wax as illus-l trated at 42 in Figure 4 and into this wax is placed a bolt, or preferably wood screw 44. The head of the screw should extend out far enough so f work the stem will be continuous with the contour of the bit portion I2. The conductive coating may be made of various material such as forming a coating of precipitate silver or other metals by chemical induction of metallic salt solutions which may be sprayed on or obtained by suba through juncture is mademersion of the bowl in the solution; or the surface may be coated with a conductive paint which may be either sprayed or brushed on: or by producing a thin coating of metal by breaking down a metallic substance by electric action, or the organic waterproofing material may be impregnated with silver nitrate, and, upon exposing the surface to hydrogen sulphide fumes, silver sulphide is formed which is an excellent conductive material. With any of the foregoing means of applying the conductive coating, it is necessary that a good homogeneous conductive coating be obtained and if inspection discloses that the coating is not perfect, the operation should be repeated.

The negative electric supply wire is now connected to screw 44 and the bowl which forms the cathode is submerged in the electroplating bath. One convenient way of assuring submergence of the bowl is by use of the weight W applied to the conductor after the showing of Figure 6. With the pipe bowl in the copper electroplating bath, electroplate copper will begin to form on the outside of the bowl and the operation can be continued until the desired thickness has been obtained.

A suitable electroplating bath for this purpose may consist o-f:

Copper sulphate, 27 oz. per gal.

Sulphuric acid, 6%; oz. per gal.

Iron-free molasses should be added as an additional agent on a proportion of 1 pint to 100 gals. of electrolyte.

This will produce a smooth homogeneous electric deposit without treeing. Conditions of bath:

Temperature, '75 degrees to 100 degrees F. Current density, 15 to 40 amperes per sq. ft. Voltage, .75 to 2 volts.

Anodes to be rolled annealed copper.

After the desired thickness of plating is reached, remove the pipe bowl from the plating bath and rinse in warm water at approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit and dry with a cloth or compressed air. The rubber stopper should then be removed from the bowl with a twisting motion. I'his is particularly desirable in case the plating is relatively thin, as to pull the stopper out with a straight movement might cause the edges of the overhanging rim 26 to be torn. The excess core or stem of copper extending past the original bowl stem should be cut with a copper pipe cutter and the ragged edges should be dressed down with a le, ush with the front of the stem. The copper surface should then be polished with an emery grease wheel operated at medium speed. After the greased emery Wheel polish, the pipe is to be buffed to a high luster with a soft buff and metal polishing compound then a heat resistant lacquer may be brushed or sprayed upon the polished surface to prevent the copper from tarnishing. The final step is to remove the wax plug from the stem of the pipe and insert the bit and the pipe is ready for use.

If it is desirable, the copper,'which forms a very excellent base for any other metal deposits, may be covered with other decorative metals such as nickel, silver, or gold by electroplating over the freshly buffed copper. In that case the copper must be a chemically clean surface.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of metal plated smoking pipes.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A smoking pipe, comprising: a self-supporting wooden bowl and stem; a metal coating on said bowl and stem; said coating having a substantially uniform thickness and being Very thin, whereby said coating follows the configuration of said bowl and stem and presents an outer surface with substantially the same configuration; said coating entirely covering said stem to its edge abutting the bit; said coating entirely covering said bowl including the upper surface to the edge of the fire chamber; whereby heat, reaching the outer surface of said wooden bowl and stem at any point, will be dissipated by conduction to other portions of said metal coating; and whereby temperatures, in the upper portion of said re chamber, will be lessened by conduction from the upper surface coating of said bowl to other portions of said coating; a plurality of metal pinlike inserts, each extending from the portion of said fire chamber of maximum temperatures to the adjacent portion of said metal coating, whereby temperatures in said portion of said fire chamber of maximum temperatures will be lessened by conduction through each metal insert to said adjacent portion of said metal coating.

2. A smoking pipe, comprising: a self-supporting Wooden bowl; a metal coating on said bowl; said coating having a substantially uniform thickness and being very thin, whereby said coating follows the conguration of said bowl and presents an outer surface with substantially the same configuration; a plurality of metal pin-like inserts, each extending from the portion of the fire chamber of maximum temperatures to the adjacent portion of said metal coating; whereby heat, reaching the outer surface of said bowl at any point, will be dissipated by conduction to other portions of said metal coating; and whereby temperatures in said portion of said re chamber of maximum temperatures will be lessened by conduction through each metal insert to said adjacent portion of said metal coating and thence conducted to other portions of said metal coating.

3. A smoking pipe, comprising: a self-supporting wooden bowl; a metal coating on said bowl, said coating having a substantially uniform thickness and being very thin and following the configuration of the bowl and presenting an outer surface with substantially the same configuration; a plurality of metal pin-like inserts, each extending from the portion of the re chamber of maximum temperatures to the adjacent portion of said metal coating, whereby temperatures in said portion of said fire chamber of maximum temperatures will be lessened by conduction through each metal insert to said adjacent portion of said metal coating and thence conducted to other portions of said metal coating.

ELWOOD R. RINEHART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 611,575 Gill Sept. 27, 1898 1,462,277 Graveure July 17, 1923 1,862,443 Tuggle June 7, 1932 1,879,433 Norton Sept. 27, 1932 1,871,365 Griswold Aug. 9, 1932 2,581,169 Bugg Jan. l, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,919 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1923 207,024 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1923 549,235 France Nov. 14, 1922 

